Rebuilding Without Government Help or Insurance Monies, the Progress is Striking

By Steve Richards

One visit to Jul’s Coffee and Peace (formerly Jul’s Coffee and Wine) tells you about all you need to know about Bucha – and Ukraine’s – spirit, and the reality of its economics.

When I was here in April, this shop was virtually destroyed except for its walls. The windows were shattered from a tank that exploded across the street and its turret that came through the roof a couple of stores down. When we met Tonya and two of her co-workers, they were piling up glass and wondering what to do next. All they wanted to do was serve coffee for free to workers trying to restore power and others that just needed fellowship. With no power or water, it would be months before the shop could reopen with plywood windows. Tonya had no idea if the owners had funds to reopen. It didn’t really matter. They were ready to work for free.

Well, Jul’s is open! And it’s packed. Power by generator is the norm throughout the day with Wi-Fi provided to the customers like a Starbucks. Blues music plays and food is served. I was curious all these months and am so glad to see them thriving.

​Amazing, really.

Julia (the owner), her husband, and their five kids went to Cypress via Budapest when the green light was provided back in March. They all returned as soon as it was practicable in the late spring and immediately began the rebuild with their savings. They wanted to come home and knew others returning too. And if you didn’t know it, you would think she was a suburban mom from Anywhere, USA. Raised in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, she is like any Christian mom who just wants to raise her family in her home and is busy building a business as well. She thanks God and is certain He is watching out for her with a kind of umbrella shield over her house where shells fell all around. She also speaks excellent English, one of four or five languages she speaks fluently, which is not unusual around here.

Having lived through Hurricane Andrew and its aftermath, I can attest that even with big insurance payouts, FEMA, and a government with resources, it takes a long time to recover from disasters. Same with my experience in Nepal in 2015 after the earthquakes. Add to this that Ukraine is still at war and missiles are still flying – albeit few and far between for most people, though sirens are still a reality and power is shaky. Also, like hurricanes and earthquakes, the damage is uneven. There are parts of Irpin that are almost totally wiped out still. Estimates are that 70% of its infrastructure was destroyed.

​What is most striking to me as I compare now to before is that kids are coming back. Women are coming back. Schools have reopened and art classes for the kids are popular. These folks are living with devastation all around and making the best of it – just like we did with Andrew. Shops are open and many high-rise apartments/flats/condos appear to be habitable. Grocery stores are open and stocked. 

​Earlier in the week, I went to the cargo airport at Hostomel with my intrepid driver and saw another aspect of the devastation here. An initial target for Russian helicopters, missiles, and paratroopers on February 24th, we meandered into the deserted outskirts of the airport where the damage went as far as the eye could see. Repairs have yet to begin. There’s no money to do anything anyway, I suppose. It’s a big economic driver laying fallow, part of the estimated 40% drop in GDP Ukraine is suffering. 

A scrap yard has popped up for burnt-out passenger vehicles and the wrecks are piling up. It seems there is nowhere to take the hulks as the foundry has also been attacked.

The wrecks – and cash flow – will have to wait. But Ukrainians are not.

Six Hours a Day of Electricity Calls for a Bit of Planning – Especially if Your Home Is Still Blown Up.
By Steve Richards

​They've come a long way in nine months...especially considering how far-flung the devastation is. It’s like a Category 5 storm blew through parts of these towns. It’s that big in Hostomel, Irpin, and Bucha.

I arrived on Monday after a half-hour Uber from Kyiv. That is HUGE in and of itself. In April I did an all-day hike to get here since there were no cars available to me or trains running – just lots of checkpoints to navigate.

What is also huge is the amount of reconstruction still to be done around here. In many places, it hasn’t started. Many are living in bombed-out neighborhoods with a modicum of the necessities of modern living. Many are waiting for their homes to be repaired, like the guy I talked with who is waiting for his 6th-floor flat in Irpin to have its artillery-damaged roof repaired. The five floors underneath are occupied already.

Rolling blackouts are a reality here given the repeated hits on the infrastructure by Russian missiles. Two-hour allotments, three times a day, with more or less certainty. Same routine for outages. The rest is a definite maybe. So that’s 12 hours of certainty, 12 hours of uncertainty. Typing by candlelight while my laptop is on battery power and connected to the internet via my iPhone/AT&T hotspot is something I hadn’t had to do when I was here in April. Back then the power was solid, once it was restored. So, in this way, the area has had to take a step back. 

It’s a stark contrast to the relative norm of the capital I experienced.

The idea of anything other than 24/7 rock-solid power – and internet – is untenable for most of us, especially if it is ongoing. But as Ukrainians like to say, it is much worse for others. At least the missiles are flying at the substations instead of into homes here.

I’m here for a few reasons. Number one is to screen Trek to Bucha in Bucha, which we will be doing on Sunday, February 5th. Number two is to film Back to Bucha, which is the sequel. Number three is to reconnect with those in the film and see how things are progressing. I’m very happy to say that I have found most of them and all are in good health and spirits. And the rebuild has progressed in many areas…others not so much.

Fortunately, the best restaurant in town is at the Viktoria Park Hotel where I am staying, which is featured in the film. In case you are interested, $50 will get you a sweet room including a robe and plenty of hot water. We’re screening the film in its ballroom.

​Sure hope they like it.

By Steve Richards

It's so pleasant here. 

I arrived on Monday after a two-day/two-night “planes, trains, and automobiles” journey from Boston to Warsaw (changed planes in London and stayed a night) to Kyiv by way of a three-train overnight journey via Krakow and Przemyśl. Most everything is open, and not overly busy. People here appear to be getting along pretty well – going to work, shopping, eating out. The restaurants are open and varied. In fact, all of the closed restaurants on my list from April are open!

Kyiv has obviously adjusted to this war. It’s amazing how well they are coping given the occasional missile attacks, kamikaze drone strikes, power outages, water interruptions, etc. – all of which are documented on the news in real-time, the latest being coverage of the Interior Minister dying in a helicopter crash in an eastern Kyiv suburb.

​I’ve been here close to a week and haven’t seen or heard a missile or an air raid siren. It’s downright quiet. There's solid power, cell service, and wi-fi. So far anyway it’s not at all what you might expect given the media coverage.

Ladies are back – both fashionable and otherwise. Children are being raised; Ubers are running. A ride to Bucha will cost me about $10 it looks like. The Metro is another option as the trains are running and Google Maps works great! Keep in mind though that there is an 11P-5A curfew.

What is most striking to me as I compare it to my visit in April is that soldiers and the ubiquity of their guns have largely evaporated. As are the checkpoints and associated sandbags and barricades. I saw one bombed-out building since I’ve been here. Bucha and Irpin, as with all the frontline towns, will be a different story though.

I’m staying at the Hotel Ukraine and have a GREAT room. Formerly the Hotel Moscow, it was built in the Soviet era in 1961 and is still state-owned. Rooms are most definitely available but don’t expect a hot (warm) shower until the morning since the water heater is turned off at 8 PM and the skeleton staff goes home. Power conservation is obviously in effect though it appears voluntary – no rolling or mandatory blackouts at this point. News junkies can still watch Sky News in English, though MTV is more fun and actually plays videos. At $43 per night, it can’t be beat. An extra $8 gets a huge breakfast including juices, unlimited coffee, bread, a cheese plate, three eggs, ham, apple pancakes, and powdered croissants (hot), all served at your table. This is Europe after all! Rooms are available nearby for half that if you don’t need the maid service, hair salon (I got a haircut), central location, or restaurant. On the other hand, the reopened Hyatt Regency, a short walk up the hill near St. Sofia Cathedral will charge a very American rate of $225 per night. 

I have a particularly awesome view of central Kyiv’s Independence Square, the site of the Maidan Revolution in 2014 which led to the overthrow of the president and parliament after they reneged on joining the EU at the last minute due to pressure from Putin. This led to Russian troops invading in the east, the annexation of Crimea, and the current war.

The weather so far is like spring in New England. Thank God. The mild winter is a true blessing and an answer to many prayers. (See Europe's mild weather reprieve this winter may come to bite by summer | Reuters.)

Putting on my travel agent hat for a minute, for the adventurous traveler, Kyiv is a place to consider. And if you are on a budget, it would be hard to imagine any European city more affordable. Of course, you’ll need to go against the State Department – and your loved ones – advice to stay home. 

You’ll certainly be helping the economy here, which for me is a prime goal, and part of the research that TheoEco is engaged in with these visits. A heightened sense of being alive and experiencing cohesion and unity of a people in wartime is a bonus. These are things I will walk away with and will be impossible to explain to my fellow Americans, especially those that are all too ready to throw Ukraine under the proverbial bus. But don’t take the media’s take on things without understanding that, generally, only the “messed-up” is newsworthy. This place is humbling, and its businesses can use the money. Just stay flexible, tuned in, and away from the front lines if you come.

And, as everyone will tell you, stay safe.

I write this post from an ultra-modern train in Poland on my way from Warsaw to Kyiv this afternoon, where I was unexpectedly served two little complimentary hand-crafted prosciutto sandwiches at my first-class seat! A far cry from the uneatable breakfast sandwich I received just before landing yesterday morning on the British Airways flight to London (the Brits aren’t exactly known for their food I suppose), from which I caught a connection to Warsaw. Unfortunately, I still have two more train rides to go – neither of which I expect to be this fancy – before I get to Kyiv tomorrow morning. All of this makes me a bit crazy that I can’t just fly to Kyiv yet, or even Lviv, after almost a year, but that’s a subject of a prior post (Back to Bucha With the Airports Still Closed). 

This gives me plenty of time to spell out exactly why I am headed back to Bucha. The answer is obvious. I need a vacation…

Just kidding, though Kyiv was an awesome place for a vacation before the invasion, and will be again. I could tell that from the first time I was here in March. In fact, Kyiv is one of the most intriguing places to visit in the world given its exceedingly rich history, which I am just now beginning to really appreciate as I take the online Yale course of Timothy Snyder’s on YouTube (Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 1: Ukrainian Questions Posed by Russian Invasion). I even got the premium subscription so I could download the lectures to my computer as I’m not expecting super-reliable broadband in Bucha and Kyiv if last time is any indication.

No – the main reason I’m going, in addition to screening the film for those that are in it in Bucha, Kyiv, and Lviv, is I am on a hunt for Satanists. That’s right – Satanists, which will surprise me greatly if I find any unless I interview some Russian Orthodox spy-priests along the way. Which I don’t think is what Putin means when he says his reason for invading Ukraine is to de-Satanize the place, which has evolved from de-Nazifying the country, which is what he told his citizens at the beginning – but I guess they didn’t find many Ukrainian Nazis after all.

​It appears that what he and the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church (not to be confused with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church) really mean are those in the LGBTQ+ community. This group I will most definitely look to find this time around, though I’m thinking Satan is not who they worship as just about everyone I’ve met in Ukraine is a bona fide, cradle-to-grave, Christian. But here’s a taste of what is going on in the theological arena, which is a HUGE component of why this war is taking place:

As you can see, all of Europe and the USA, and presumably Canada, Australia, Mexico, South America, and all free peoples everywhere that tolerate individual liberties, are part of this rather large group of Satanists. Now, given that I am from the USA, and have never actually met any avowed Satanists, I'm thinking it’s going to be tough going trying to find one. But try I will, as well as look for a diverse group of interviewees, including mayors, Bohemians, academics, priests, professionals, workers, etc.

Fortunately, I have other reasons to go. Most of all it’s time to begin Trek to Bucha’s (Trek to Bucha - Tour Info) promotional efforts, and I couldn’t think of a better way to begin the promo tour than in Ukraine. Of course, missiles are still flying but I’ve convinced myself – and my loved ones – that it’s no more dangerous than living in the gun environment all Americans live with. That is to say, the chance of being killed is certainly there, but extremely remote. (See the post On this Thanksgiving Weekend Ukraine and USA Share Two More Things: Thankfulness and Violent Death Rates.)

I also want to see how recovery efforts are going, especially in Bucha and Irpin which I wrote about in Trek to Bucha Epilogue: Force Majeure (Act of God) – Part 1 (Economics). But what really sealed the deal for my explanation of going back to Ukraine now is to shoot the sequel: Back to Bucha, and to catch up with the stars of Trek to Bucha, lend support, and witness their Spirit.

Am I a bit nervous? Of course. I’ve never experienced missiles flying overhead, or kamikaze Iranian drones. But don’t worry about me. I visited Fr. Yaroslav at Christ the King UCC in Boston (Christ the King Church (christ-the-king-ucc.org) before I left, and he assured me my guardian angel is still with me!

TheoEco’s Director Steve Richards' 5-week Ukraine tour begins this Friday, January 13th. The tour begins as the long, cold, infrastructure-bombed winter moves in with screenings of Trek to Bucha planned in Bucha, Kyiv, and Lviv.

Bucha – Sunday, February 5th, 2023, at 6 PM (11 AM EST)
Kyiv – Late January – Exact date and time TBD
Lviv – Early February – Exact date and time TBD 

​In addition to raising awareness and answering President Zelensky’s call for support, we are also shooting the sequel Back to Bucha as we witness, and document Ukraine's Spirit one year into the war–helping in our own small way to help Ukrainians stay "Alive and Kicking" amid growing calls in the USA to withdraw American support. 

​For more go to the Tour page at Trek to Bucha - Tour Info (theoeco.org)
Follow Steve on Instagram and Facebook.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, I will be kicking off Trek to Bucha’s promotional tour in Ukraine in January 2023 Trek to Bucha - Tour Info (theoeco.org). Unfortunately, just like in the Spring it will take several days of flights, trains, and cars to get to the Bucha Premiere on February 5th. That includes an overnight flight to Warsaw from Boston, a night in Warsaw, a sleeper train to Kyiv, and then a ride to Bucha after a night’s stay in Kyiv. All of which carry their own risks of course.

Sure wish I could just fly to Kyiv like before the February 24th invasion 10 months ago. To which most say: “Well, duh. Of course the airports are closed. There’s a war going on you know!”

​Yes, I know. And I’m not typical. But as I offered back in September: 

“It also means getting airports reopened and transit normalized to the extent possible. There has been war going on in Ukraine’s east for almost a decade and Kyiv’s Boryspil Airport stayed open until February 24th when Ukraine closed its airspace. We need to get back to that. If more advanced missile defense systems and the like are needed to keep jet liners safe then supply them.” Trek to Bucha Epilogue: Force Majeure (Act of God) – Part 1 (Economics) (theoeco.org)
​

New Patriot missiles systems are finally on their way to Ukraine. These have the potential to reduce the risk to commercial jets to a minimum even if Russia were foolish enough to shoot down civilian aircraft again. Even China and India would object to such barbarism.

Missiles and drones threaten the Capital and other big cities throughout Ukraine. But the risk of death to civilians not on the front lines is about the same as the USA from guns. See: On this Thanksgiving Weekend Ukraine and USA Share Two More Things: Thankfulness and Violent Death Rates (theoeco.org).

Russian strikes tend to be focused on electrical infrastructure. Presumably, when the airport in Kyiv is reopened it will also be targeted. Enter the new missile defenses.

I’m not saying this will – or should – happen overnight. Demand for flights will be low anyway as long as power is unreliable, not to mention water. Yes, the number of passengers might be light but the symbolism huge.

Stick it to Putin while providing a huge boost in morale to Ukrainians and their supporters? The time is nigh for flights to resume. Ukraine’s economic recovery and the return of its refugees depend on it. And for those that object to billions in economic supports to Ukraine might proffer, patriot missiles are cheaper than Ukraine’s ongoing economic depression.

We’ll need brave pilots and flight attendants – and passengers. Airfares need to be cheap. A missile attack could be considered a force majeure so insurance policies for carriers and passengers will need to consider the risks and subsidies provided to cover the risks a carrier might incur. Passengers will need to be covered separately by Accidental Death policies.

​I wish it were an option right now. Because as much as I look forward to going back to Bucha, I don’t look forward to getting there.

Heading Back to Ukraine to Screen the Film For the Film’s Stars
​By Steve Richards

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, I will be kicking off Trek to Bucha’s promotional tour in Bucha on February 5th. The venue (to be announced) has generators so we’re confident we will be good to go. We are also planning to livestream the event if possible. Ukrainian captions will be ready.

We are also planning screenings in Lviv and Kyiv during a month-long Ukrainian tour as the long, cold, energy-tight winter sets in.

The film is a glimpse of what those in Bucha – and throughout Ukraine – dealt with in the winter of 2022 and what many Ukrainians will live through this winter due to Russian attacks on their energy grid. For instance, in the film we see folks cooking over open fires in field kitchens outside their condos, the thrill of power being restored, workers working on power lines, etc.

Personally, in my ongoing quixotic effort to help the Ukrainian cause I hope to bring a bit of goodwill and support from the USA and let those that I encounter know we are with them. I’m also looking forward to revisiting new friends and seeing how they are doing. I am particularly eager to see how the rebuilding is progressing in Bucha and Irpin, the most heavily hit areas featured in the film as discussed in Trek to Bucha Epilogue: Force Majeure (Act of God) – Part 1 (Economics) (theoeco.org).

I will also be shooting Back to Bucha, a sequel where we will dig further into the evolution of Putin’s Orwellian justification for his war; from de-nazification to de-satanization. The developing schism in the Orthodox Church is also something I hope to document as we continue to explore the Spirit in Ukraine begun in Trek to Bucha Epilogue: Force Majeure (Act of God) – Part 2 (Spirit) (theoeco.org). To me it is reminiscent of what happened to the Church of England in the USA during its revolution beginning in Boston in 1775, which led to the creation of the Episcopalian Church here in America.

Is going to Ukraine dangerous? I recently researched the issue to make my Mom feel better about it all and found that being in Ukraine is no more life threatening for most people than being in the USA given its ongoing gun violence. Don’t believe it? Check out On this Thanksgiving Weekend Ukraine and USA Share Two More Things: Thankfulness and Violent Death Rates (theoeco.org).

So off I go!

Lastly, our screenings are donation driven and free for the folks in Ukraine. If you would like to support the effort book a screening for your own group for when I return mid-February. I’ll be happy to come screen the film and tell you all about what I found.

​For more go to the Tour page at Trek to Bucha - Tour Info (theoeco.org).

At this time of Thanksgiving in the USA it’s intriguing to reflect on the reasons to give thanks in the USA even as we suffer a rash of mass shootings. Similarly, Ukraine would seem to have little to be thankful for given the war, power supplies under attack, etc. Americans can give thanks for steady power supplies, fresh running water, plentiful heat, and no missiles overhead. Ukrainians can be thankful I suppose just to be winning the war.

One of the most striking things people take away from watching Trek to Bucha is just how thankful Ukrainians are. Most interviewees in the film are thankful to have their family, friends, homes, and country survive. Not all though. The tragedies and atrocities mean that many, many people’s lives will never be the same again. Same for those who have lost loved ones to USA’s ubiquitous gun violence.

As I prepare to kick off Trek to Bucha’s promotional tour in Ukraine in January, I took a look at the #1 issue people understandably bring up when I tell them I’m going back: “Isn’t it dangerous?” To which I reply: “No more than here.”
Bottom line? It is just as likely someone will be killed in the USA by gun violence than in Ukraine from a missile strike. Here are the dismal statistics.

• In the USA there were 19,384 gun murders in 2020 Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered | Pew Research Center. With a population of about 338 million that makes for a rate of 0.00006.
• In Ukraine, the number of civilians killed since the war began in February 2022 through October was about 2,525 in areas which were under Government control. This includes places like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odesa. With a pre-war population of 43 million this equates to an identical rate of 0.00006 Ukraine: civilian casualty update 10 October 2022 | OHCHR.
• These numbers don’t include the deaths of those in frontline war zones. These places are much worse. For instance, the rate in Bucha at 419 deaths Bucha massacre - Wikipedia and a population of 36,971 is 0.01. 189 times higher.

The difference is that in Ukraine they are Putin’s murders. In the USA, it’s Americans murdering Americans; part of the gun environment we’ve made for ourselves. Ukraine’s situation will hopefully end sooner than later. America’s will likely go on.
One thing to be thankful for in either case is that the chances are slim of being killed this way if you stay out of the war zones. So, in answer to those that wonder if I’m worried or scared to go back to Ukraine the answer is: “Not much”.

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to go back. I look forward to updating the stories with fresh interviews and footage and shooting the sequel: Back to Bucha.

Besides, there’s always a chance I can make a difference and support the cause.

Want to help? Book a screening and/or make a donation.

​Thank You!

New trailer focuses on Ukraine’s SpiritAn updated trailer for Trek to Bucha is up at https://vimeo.com/709512914.

At just over two minutes we have shortened it by a good 20 seconds. But what is most important is new footage that we came back with in April 2022. Footage of interviews that, like the film, are much more about the Spirit of Ukraine’s people, rather than the damage and atrocities.

Stories of people like Tonya, the girl in Jul’s coffee shop in Bucha working without pay trying to get ready to serve free coffee to workers and neighbors once the lights came back on and water pressure restored. Forget the blown-out windows and pile of glass on the floor, she wanted to get back to work.

Stories of citizens like Alex and Maxim, and their friends at Match Restaurant in Kyiv who turned the place into a World Central Kitchen outpost serving more than 1,500 meals a day for anyone who needed them.

Stories of childhood friends like Igor and Victor, whose world was turned upside down when Bucha was occupied – and now are left with the aftermath. Or Timer, who never evacuated Bucha, telling of the day the Russians left and the cup of tea he enjoyed in complete silence in the middle of the road Russians used to attack, and then withdraw.

Stories of parishioners like those at Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Boston in conjunction with our partner Ukraine Forward, gathering supplies to be sent to the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv for front line troops.
The blown-up bridge, cooking over an open fire, and children’s art in the basement bomb shelter, are all still there. The story wouldn’t be complete without these, and they all add up to a witnessing of Ukraine’s Spirit in the war’s early days.
Roma Hayda of Providence, RI put it well after the film’s premiere screening:

“The documentary's texture presents the horror, terror, and yes, hope, without showing the gore of war. The generosity of spirit links all people of all walks and daily life… "

​Take a look, and for more about Ukraine’s Sprit in the film go to Trek to Bucha Epilogue: Force Majeure (Act of God) – Part 2 (Spirit) (theoeco.org).

After much consideration – and a bit of inspiration - we have added an image to our poster of Saint Volodymyr in the clouds, a 10th century ruler at the heart of Russia’s twisted claim to Ukraine.

On this day of celebration in Ukraine as they retake Kherson City, millions will be praying in Ukrainian churches with images of Saint Volodymyr prominently displayed. Because, while Ukraine’s Christian past goes back to Saint Andrew in the first century, it was not fully Christianized until Volodymyr the Great ordered the baptism of the entire region in 988. Volodymyr the Great (encyclopediaofukraine.com)

You see, St. Volodymyr was from Kyiv, which was the capital of the Kievan Rus' empire long before Moscow was even a spot on the map. Russia co-opts and corrupts history by placing him at the center of their culture when convenient. This is not new, but it is critically important now as Ukraine fights for its freedom and national identity.

Saint Volodymyr’s icon therefore holds a central place in the theologies caught up in the war. A schism is developing within the Orthodox Church in which Russian Patriarch Kirill is supporting Russian nationalism and Putin in the war, while the Ukrainian Orthodox church has largely repudiated these dictates. Russian Patriarch Kirill Says Dying In Ukraine 'Washes Away All Sins' (rferl.org).

This image holds very special significance for me personally as we took it from the picture of Fr. Yaroslav standing in front of it at Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Boston in March 2022. Right where he called down a guardian angel to watch over me on my trek to Ukraine later that month.

​It is a war fought on many levels. But for Ukrainians, Saint Volodymyr is clearly on the side of his Kyiv homeland and watching out for quixotic American documentarians who happen along to tell stories of its Spirit.